The design prices are for design only. For the most part, it is industry standard to have one free consultation with the client and time to go over the initial design after completion. If you have changes or more meetings, then you need to extend the hours per job (charge per 1/4 hour). Basically, the 3 hours it takes to design a letterhead is just for design. Additional charges will need to be applied if the client request changes. My suggestion, is if they have minor changes, then do it for free, but don’t let it get out of hand. The reason the extra charges are not in place on these pricing guides, is that every client is different and that it is virtually impossible to judge what will be changed. Some may need more while others less. Since most design work is custom, this will always be an issue for designers.
To answer you question about what to charge, is dependent on experience as well as location. Your location could warrant a high fee such as $100 per hour, but that all depends on experience and skill level. As an artist starting out, I would charge between $30 and $50 per hour, with $50 an hour being the preferred rate. Use our pricing guides and plug in your hourly rate. You should also time yourself on a regular basis to see how much time it takes to do a project. By the way, never sell yourself short. If it takes you 5 hours to do a brochure, and you know that most designers would take 10, then charge for 10. If the client has a hard time with the costs, go down to 8 hours charge. You’re still making money and are beating the competition.
As for the rate of $125 per hour sounds fine. By looking at a currency converter, your $125 an hour rate is about equal to $77 per hour here in the USA. However, I would suggest calling up a few local design firms and do a little price checking. Also, depending on the Australian economy, will depend on how much you can charge. You might even consider having 2 rates, one at your regular rate and the other a little lower for lesser budget clients or bad economy issues. I have my rates between $60 and $100 US dollars per hour which would equal to about $97 to $162 AUD.
